Hold Back The River
by Lou98
Summary: Katniss Everdeen starts her senior year of high school feeling like something is missing from her life. Can a certain blue eyed boy change that? Or will she continue to close off her emotions?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys, there will be a little bit at the end that i'd like you to read concerning the story but for now I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games**

**Hold Back The River**

**Chapter 1: Katniss' P.O.V.**

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes

Hold back the river, so I

Can stop for a minute and see where you hide

Hold back the river, hold back

The alarm sounds and I tentatively open my eyes. I can hear Prim, my little sister, get up and lock the bathroom door, meaning I won't be able to shower for a least an half hour. I groan and stumble out of bed, moving to my closet. I find a pair of jeans and the only clean shirt, which happens to be orange, a colour I'm not too fond of but it's my only option. I leave them out on my bed and venture out of my room to grab some breakfast.

"Good Morning Honey," My mom greets my cheerily as I pour my cereal, "Are you excited?"

"Mom, its senior year." I reply coldly, "It's not special."

"Yes it is!" She exclaims, always enthusiastic, "And anyway aren't you happy to be seeing your friends again?"

"I saw Johanna yesterday." I mumble through a mouthful of lucky charms.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth." My dad mock scolds and puts down his paper,

"And don't be so quick to dismiss your mother's enthusiasm, this year could be different." he says and winks at me. I love both my parents, but I've always been a daddy's girl. I love the twinkle in his eye, and the way he looks at mom like she's the only person in the world and how he's always supported us through everything. I give him a little smile,

"I doubt it, nothing ever changes around here." I call as I run upstairs and straight into prim who's coming out the bathroom. She's fourteen now, but she'll always be my little duck. I give here the once over,

"You can't wear that!" I exclaim.

"Why not?" She counters, crossing her arms defensively.

"Because you're fourteen and that skirt is way too short, and is that make-up? Why are you in such a hurry to grow up, go change now!"

"No, I look fine and-" She was cut off by our mother.

"Girls, stop fighting!" She yelled from downstairs, "Katniss stop telling Prim what to do, and Prim go change!"

"But you can't ev-"

"No buts just change!"

I give Prim an 'I told you so smirk' and quickly run into the bathroom before she gets there and takes another hour deciding what to change into. I turn on the shower and the room fill with steam. I step into the scolding water and watch it roll down my body. I suddenly become very nervous. I've never been that popular at school but I have a nice group of friends and I do well in all my classes, so why does this year feel so different? I know it's the last year of high school but I'd always thought of that as something to look forward to. I was never one to believe the lie that high school is the best years of your life. That obviously isn't true, but as I begin to think about this time next year my stomach turns at the thought of everyone going their separate ways and everything being different. I'm brought out of my trance by a loud banging on the door.

"Katniss I left my lip gloss in there and I need to reapply!" Prim screams through the door. I shut off the water and wrap myself in a towel, before I leave I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I look the same, but something definitely feels different.

"All yours." I say as she rushes past me.

I double check my bag to make sure I have all my books, when I hear the familiar sound of Jo's car horn signalling it's time to leave. I give mom a quick kiss on the cheek and call goodbye. I'm about to open the front door when my dad catches my arm,

"Remember what I said Katniss," He says softly, "This year could be different if you're open to it." He kisses the top of my head and I fumble out the door, the nervousness I felt earlier returning at his words, though I'm not quite sure why.

"What's up bitch!" Johanna calls as I enter her car. I laugh and shake my head. Jo has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. She lives across the street and since she is an only child she used to come over and play with me and Prim when we were little. Our personalities are like chalk and cheese but people say that's how we've managed to stay friends all this time, I have no idea what I'd do without her.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that!"

"Like a thousand?" she smirks,

"More like a million."

"And I still do it." She laughs as she pulls away from the curb.

"No Gale today?" I question and her eyes go dark. Gale is her on again, off again boyfriend and my other best friend. He lives next door to me and our parents are best friends, he has 3 younger siblings, two boys and a girl, Rory, Vick and Posy. Rory is the same age as Prim and is pretty sweet on her, although she seems oblivious to his affection. Vick is two years younger at twelve and posy is the youngest at just five.

"No." she says stonily.

"What did he do this time?"

"Well you know that party we went to last night, for the last night of summer," she begins, and I nod, I rarely go out to parties so it's a normal occurrence when Jo tells me all the gossip from them, "I went outside to get some air and when I came back I saw him talking to that girl Delly, Delly Cartwright, can you believe that I saw them talking!"

I laugh, "Oh Jo, you have to stop freaking out every time he talks to a girl, he can have girls who are just friends you know, I mean look at me, I'm just his friend and it's fine."

She sighs, "Yeah but you're more like his sister and he wouldn't be thinking about sleeping with his sister!"

"How do you go from seeing him talking to Delly, to him wanting to sleep with her?"

"Katniss men are fickle, they only think about one think and that is sex."

"I'm pretty sure that's not true, you just like the drama of breaking up with Gale and getting back together, so you conjure up these deluded fantasies."

"That's not true!" she pouts, "I'm just very sensitive." She looks at me and we both laugh, Jo is anything but sensitive.

"You don't have to worry you know, Gale loves you."

"I know, but it's fun to watch him come running back." She muses and sure enough when she pulls into her parking space Gale is there waiting for her. I grab my bag from the back seat and slowly get out of the car. I look up at the school and feel my stomach churn with nerves again. I take a deep breath and jog to catch up with Johanna and Gale who've walked ahead to meet the others.

"Katniss!" Everyone greets in unison, I smile and give them a little wave. They all begin to chat about their summers even though we spent most of it together. I take a step back and just observe. Annie catches my eye first, her auburn hair flying about in the breeze and her intense green eyes staring at Finnick. Finnick and Annie have been dating since freshman year, everyone thought their relationship wouldn't work, the super star athlete and the shy, quiet poet, but everyone changed their minds when they saw them together. My eyes travel down to where their hands are intertwined, they're rarely not touching, like it physically pains them to be apart even for a second.

Thresh stands to the other side of Finnick Checking out the girls as they walk by, if I didn't know him I'd think he was a jerk, but really he's a big softie, he just likes to keep up a certain image to keep up with his buddies on the football team. Gale's arm has snaked around Johanna's waist and her head rests on his shoulder and it makes me smile, but I begin to feel something else too, a pang of jealousy. Not of the fact Johanna is with Gale; Gale and I tried to have a relationship once but we soon realised it was founded on convenience rather than love, we thought because our families were so close we should work but it didn't. No, I'm jealous of what they have, I'm jealous of Finnick and Annie too. I'm jealous of how easy love comes to them, they just found the person and it fit. I've never been that concerned with finding a boyfriend, but seeing them all here now, I'm beginning to wonder if I've missed out on something.

I feel someone jostle me and look up,

"We have to go now Katniss." Jo says. She kisses Gale goodbye and links her arm through mine. We brace ourselves as we roam into the sea of swarming bodies hurrying to get to their first class. That's when it happens. In a swarm of browns, greens and greys I see them, a pair of striking crystal blue eyes staring straight back into mine. I look away, embarrassed that he caught me watching, when I look back their gone and I'm left wondering if I imagined it.

The eyes haunt me for the rest of the day. I look for them wherever I go. I scour all my classes and everyone in the halls, but I have no luck. No one notices but Jo when I keep looking at the door to the cafeteria to see each new face that comes in, hoping to see his.

"Waiting for someone?" She whispers while motioning towards the door. I shake my head.

"N-no." I stammer, she raises an eyebrow but goes back to the conversation knowing better than to push me on the matter. The whole lunch hour my eyes are glued to the door, I barely eat any of my food I can't seem to shake the image of those eyes out of my head. When the bell rings to signal the end of lunch, Jo whispers in my ear,

"I hope you find whoever you're looking for." I just give her a slight smile and nod but I can't help desperately wanting her sentiments to come true.

I'd almost given up hope of ever seeing him again, I only had two classes after lunch and he didn't appear in my trig class, so English was my last shot at finding him. English is my favourite class because I've always been a big lover of literature. Also it helps that Effie Trinket our teacher is married to my Uncle Haymitch so I'm naturally her favourite in the class, although she swears otherwise. I arrive early so I can get my favourite seat at the back by the window. I watch everyone walk in, some people I know, some people I don't, but I never see him. Suddenly, Effie appears in front of the board in a pink ensemble that if it were on anyone else, would look horrible but on her it looks charming. She claps her hands excitedly,

"Welcome, Welcome, and welcome to English Literature." She exclaimed, "I trust you all read the required books over the summer." Everyone nods and she smiles like a Cheshire cat.

"Excellent, we're going to start this semester with To Kill A Mockingbird, now I want you all to choose a character and write down 5 qualities they have and then try to reason them, when you're all finished we'll discuss." She moves to sit at her desk and writes out a list of her own. That's one of the things I liked best about Effie, she was the kind of teacher that got involved with the work and didn't just leave the class to it.

I settled on Boo Radley for my character as I felt although he only makes a small appearance is one of the most complex characters in the book. The whole class was silently compiling their lists when the there was a knock at the door, simultaneously 25 heads looked up at the door as the boy with the blue eyes entered. My breath hitched when I saw him; as the day wore on I'd convinced myself it was a dream, that I hadn't really seen him, but he was here, now, in my English class. Effie looked sternly at the boy, if there was one thing she couldn't abide it was lateness.

"Young man you are late." she scolded, his cheeks blushed scarlet.

"I'm sorry," He said, extending his hand, "I'm Peeta Mellark, I'm new here I got a little lost." Effie's face softened and she shook his hand,

"Oh that's quite alright dear, go sit down there's a seat at the back." she said charmed by his politeness. My heart rate quickened when I realised the seat to which she was referring to was directly next to mine. The blue eyed boy cautiously made his way to the back very aware of all the eyes on him. He sat down and pulled out a, well-loved copy of To Kill A Mockingbird. I tried not to stare, I really did but I found everything he did so mesmerising. He began to turn towards me and I quickly turned back round to disguise my gaze. He quietly cleared his throat and I turned back, he extended his hand, his politeness knowing no bounds,

"Hi, I'm Peeta" He said softly,

"Katniss." I replied taking his hand, trying to hide my surprise at the electricity I felt from his touch.

**Hey so Just a little note to say that I hoped you enjoyed this story, If you follow me you will know that I haven't written for a while but I've been struggling with my anxiety for the past few months and I've found that writing can help so I plan to be uploading a bit more. Over the next few weeks I have exams so my uploading may be quite irregular if at all, but I have a three week break after that and I plan to write a LOT. **

**This idea was kinda sticking in my head and I wanted to get it down before it went. I think I'm going to rate it T, but if you guys feel like it should be upgraded to M then just let me know and I can change it. I know this chapter isn't that bad but it would come in handy for planning future chapters. The title is a song by James Bay, I suggest you check it out it's amazing. **

**As always thank you for reading and please follow, favourite and review all three are much appreciated (although reviews are my favourite ;)). **


	2. Chapter 2: Picture of You

**Hey guys, I felt like writing some more so I did. Just to warn you updates won't always be as quick as this. I hop you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

**Chapter 2: Picture of You**

**Katniss' P.O.V.**

I had a picture of you in my mind

never knew it could be so wrong

Why'd it take me so long just to find

the friend that was there all along.

Boyzone- 1997

"Katniss." I replied taking his hand, trying to hide my surprise at the electricity I felt from his touch. He held on to my hand a little too long before letting go, not that I minded much. I turned back to my work, but every so often I'd sneak glances his way and I'm pretty sure he was looking at me too. Sneakily, I looked over and my eyes caught his paper, he'd chosen to do Atticus for his character study. I'd chosen to analyse Boo Radley because I felt like I identified most with him, I begin to wonder whether Peeta chose Atticus for the same reasons. Effie begins to talk and I turn my attention to the front of the class, but I can't keep myself from zoning out. English is usually the class I feel most alive in, but after all the mixed emotions I've gone through today I just feel drained. However I feel suddenly alive when I realised Peeta has raised his hand to speak.

"Peeta dear, who did you choose?" Effie asks inquisitively.

"Atticus." He replies shakily, probably now regretting deciding to share his opinions.

"Oh good!" she says encouragingly, "No one's talked about Atticus yet." Peeta clears his throat and begins to talk.

"Well I thought that Atticus' main quality was his honesty," Peeta began, his voice enchanting, "He's always honest with himself and his children and he always tries to do the right thing, no matter what anyone else thinks, and I think that, that is an important quality to have."

"You're quite right Peeta that is an excellent observation of Atticus' character."

Once Peeta has finished speaking, I zone out again, concentrating on the task in hand is hard with him sitting next to me. I've never felt this way before, I hardly know this person, but I'm so consumed by them. A part of myself is telling me that is ridiculous, we've only just met these feelings are just in your imagination. However a bigger part of me is saying that these feelings are real and I'm wondering if he feels this way too.

The bell rings and I quickly pack up my stuff, making sure I don't look at him. I stand up to leave and our eyes meet. We hold each other's gaze for longer than a normal amount of time and he looks like he wants to say something to me. I have no idea why as I usually try to say as little as possible to anyone, but I feel my mouth start to form the words and before I know it I've struck up a conversation with him.

"So you're new here?" I ask,

"Yeah I just moved here, my parents they bought a house on Oak Way."

"I know the one, I live on Maple, and I think our houses may back onto each other?" I say remembering how when I looked out my window the other day I saw the house behind ours packing up their belongings. Our conversation lulls into an awkward silence, but neither of us make a move to leave.

"So…" I say awkwardly edging slowly towards the door hoping he'll follow my lead. He nods and walks with me to the door.

"Um," he mumbles, "Seen as I'm going that way anyway do you want a ride home?" He asks me. As much as I want to go with him, mu head rules my heart and I open my mouth to politely decline when I'm interrupted.

"She'll go with you." Johanna says enthusiastically. She takes a step back and gives Peeta a once over.

"So you're the boy she's been lusting over all day!" she says gleefully, watching my cheeks turn crimson.

"I wasn't lusting after anyone." I mumble. I risk a glance at Peeta who is wearing a bemused smirk.

"Yes you were, every time I saw you, you were looking for someone." Jo counters, and I relent there is no point trying to argue with Johanna. Peeta looks at me and raises an eyebrow as if to say it's okay if you say no, but I decide to go against my better judgement and take him up on his offer. I nod at him and we begin to walk to the parking lot.

"So Katniss, who is this mystery man." Jo asks, motioning towards Peeta. Before I can speak Peeta jumps into action extending his hand and introducing himself. She takes it and smiles.

"Formal, I like it, like prince charming or a knight in shining armour." Jo and Peeta continue to chat about what brings him here, and I fall into a comfortable silence. When we reach Jo's car Gale is leaning against the side, he looks quizzically at Peeta and then at me. I give him a little nod to let him know that Peeta's okay. Gale is very protective over me, he still thinks of me as like a little sister. Peeta Introduces himself and Gale is visibly taken aback by his politeness. We say our goodbyes and I follow Peeta to his car. I look back over my shoulder and Gale Mouths 'He's Okay' to me. I can't help but smile, getting the seal of approval from Gale is hard to do and Peeta managed to accomplish it in under five minutes.

Peeta's car is full of character and by that I mean pretty beat up. There are dents and scrapes all over the place but it is obviously well loved. He opens the passenger door for me and I climb in noticing how meticulously kept the inside of the car is compared to the outside. He climbs in, starts the engine and pulls out of the parking lot; then it hits me I'm alone with Peeta and I suddenly become very nervous. Not nervous like he could murder me, but nervous like I could make a fool of myself. He looks over at me and smiles.

"So, you were looking out for me?" He questions, I groan.

"You're going to think I'm some kind of crazy stalker!"

"Try me."

"On my way to first period this morning I looked into the crowd of people and I saw you, well I saw your eyes." I explain, "I've never seen anything so blue before and the image kind of stayed with me and I was just hoping maybe I'd see you again so I knew that I didn't dream it." I finish, scared by how I immediately open up to him. I've never talked that openly before with anyone not even Jo. He laughs, but not unkindly, a gentle laugh.

"That's funny, because on my way to first period I saw a girl with the most striking grey eyes I have ever seen, and I spent the whole day hoping I'd see her again." He says sincerely, but I still don't believe him.

"You're lying to make me feel better."

"I'm not!" he says and we look at each other and laugh. We sit in a comfortable silence for a while, until Peeta speaks up again.

"Tell me about yourself?" he asks, and my mind goes blank. No one has ever asked me that question before; Gale and Johanna have known me since we were babies so they never had to and whenever someone new asked they just filled in the blanks for me.

"Um, well I have a younger sister Prim who is fourteen and a freshman in the same school as us. My dad is a scientist and my mom is a nurse, they've been married for 20 years but they've known each other their whole lives." I tell him. He smiles.

"That's nice," he says, "I have two older brothers, Jack and Rye. My mom and Dad are both bakers and they own the bakery downtown. They've been married for 25 years. Now tell me about yourself."

"I already did."

"No, you told me about your family. Tell me stuff about _you _like your favourite songs, movies, colour. You know stuff you tell your friends."

"So you're my friend now?"

"I'd like to be." He says rather sheepishly.

"Well look at that you've wormed your way into my life in a day, it's been known to take years before I've let people be my friends." I say and he gives me a triumphant grin. I sigh and am surprised to find that I actually want to tell him about my life, so I begin.

"My favourite song is can't help falling in love by Elvis Presley, I love the movie The Breakfast Club, and my favourite colour is forest green. Now you go."

"Okay let's see, my favourite song is unchained melody, but the righteous brothers version, I really like Saturday night fever and my favourite colour is sunset orange." He says earnestly. He goes to change gear and his hand brushes my thigh. I feel the electricity again and this time I'm sure he felt it too. I shift in my seat and he quickly retracts his hand embarrassed at the intimate contact.

"So you're a fan of disco then?" I ask in reference to his favourite film.

"Well yeah the music's great but I love the story. A young man trying to find his way in the world, torn between doing what is expected of him and what he loves." He says a very real sadness tinging his words. The mood doesn't stay too sombre for long though.

"So what about you huh, an Elvis fan?"

"Yeah, my dad is too, when I was little we used to sit and watch all his movies and my dad would sing can't help falling in love to me as he tucked me into bed." I say still shocking myself at the personal stories I feel comfortable telling him.

"My dad is more of a country and western fan," Peeta says, "Johnny Cash doesn't exactly make good bedtime story material." I laugh and he smiles at me, and I feel it again. That electricity only this time it doesn't come from his touch, it comes from his smile.

As we pull up to my house my heart sinks a little as I realise I'll have to leave Peeta. I look around the dash board for a piece of paper but I can't find anything.

"Give me your arm." I instruct him and he obliges. I pull a pen out of my bag and write my cell phone number on his arm.

"Text me okay?" I tell him and he nods, "We'll eat lunch together tomorrow, you can meet some more of my friends." I get out the car and am about to walk away when he calls my name.

"Katniss!"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." He says and it makes me smile,

"What for?"

"Just thank you." He says, I nod and give him a little wave but he sits and waits until I'm safely inside to drive away.

"Who dropped you off today?" My mother inquires at dinner, "It wasn't Johanna's car, have you two had a fight?"

I sigh, "No mom, it was just a new guy I met at school today."

"A guy!" she squeals, "Oh Katniss what's his name, what's he like?"

"His name is Peeta Mellark, he just transferred here. We met in my English class. He lives in the house behind ours and his parents own the bakery downtown." I recite. I already had a speech prepared for when mother inevitably started asking questions. I could see her spying on me when Peeta dropped me off.

"Do you like him?" She asks excitedly,

"Mom!" I screech in horror.

"Leave her alone Judy," my dad says slightly agitated, "Let her eat her dinner in peace." I'm grateful for my dad's support but I think he's doing it for his own benefit rather than mine. I don't think he's quite come to terms with the idea of his little girl dating. We finish dinner in silence, but my mom keeps looking at me and smiling, happy that I've finally showed interest in getting into a relationship. When I've finished I excuse myself and hurry up to my room. I change into my sleep shorts and vest and sit on my window sill staring out. I can make out a faint figure in the window of the house across the way and I wonder if it's Peeta. I'm lost in my thoughts when I hear my phone buzz.

_Are you sitting at your window?_

_-Peeta _

I smile and quickly reply a yes. I'm slightly surprised at the sudden comfort I feel knowing that I can look out of my window and know that Peeta is there. I pick up my copy of To Kill A Mockingbird and reread my favourite sections taking notes as I go. I read until my eyes become bleary and I can hardly keep them open. I look out and see that Peeta's light is still on. Before I can convince myself not to, I send him a good night text. Seconds later I get a reply.

_Goodnight Katniss, sweet dreams._

_-Peeta_

I climb into bed and pull the covers right up around me. I drift off into peaceful sleep content with the fact I made a new friend today and with my heart full of hope that he could become something more than that.

**So that was chapter 2. Sorry if you find Katniss slightly OOC, I'm a really emotional person and I tend to write that way too. Every Chapter will have a song that goes with it and relevant lyrics at the top, if you don't know the songs I suggest you check them out because I love them. **

**Someone in the reviews picked up on the To Kill A Mockingbird stuff which I loved. I wanted to put it in the story because it's my favourite book and because of the whole Mockingbird/Mockingjay thing. Another reviewer asked if Madge was going to appear in this story, all I will say is she may appear later on ;) **

**Thank you for your favourites, follows and reviews! When I get the emails through I smile at my phone like a fool so to keep my smiling please continue to review favourite and follow :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Head Over Feet

**Hey Guys! Here's Chapter 3, I hope you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger games.**

Chapter 3: Head Over Feet

Katniss' P.O.V.

You've already won me over in spite of me

And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet

Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are

I couldn't help it; it's all your fault

-Alanis Morissette

It's Friday morning and it's the fourth day in a row I've been excited to go to school granted it's because I get to see him and not school itself but still; it's an improvement on last year. I get out of bed and pad to my window searching for Peeta, but I'm too late he's already left for the morning. Johanna has kept driving me to school in the mornings because Peeta works the early shifts at his parent's bakery and then goes straight to school from there. He has however kept driving me home, much to the delight of my mother. Although the first journey home went well I was scared the second day. I was nervous in case there were awkward silences or if he'd suddenly decided that he didn't actually like me. I couldn't have been more wrong. We chatted constantly and in the rare event that we lulled into a silence it was comfortable; we were comfortable just being with each other. I only met him a few days ago but I already feel like I've known him my whole life.

Johanna grills me in the mornings about what we talk about on the way home, I tell her everything unsure if I'm reading too much into things he says or does, having never been in this position before. My favourite thing about Johanna is that through all her joking she is very caring and would do anything to help me. I step away from the window and quickly rush to the bathroom before Prim can get there. I hear her sigh moodily from behind the door, but I ignore her. I turn on the hot water and shower quickly, eager for the day ahead. I get out and towel myself dry. I leave the bathroom carefully holding a towel around me. Prim glares at me and slams the bathroom door shut; I love Prim I really do, but her rebellious teenager phase is really starting to get under my skin.

I take my time choosing what to wear but in the end I opt for a safe jeans and tee combo. Wishing I had more confidence to wear something a little more daring. I swiftly dry my hair and put it into the same braid I've worn it in almost every day since I was little.

I grab my bag and run downstairs to get some breakfast before Johanna arrives to pick me up. I pop in a slice of toast and read the paper with my dad. Suddenly, he becomes very serious and looks at me intently,

"Katniss, do you like Peeta?" He asks me solemnly,

"Yeah, he's my friend." I reply, unable to stop the grin that spreads across my face at the thought of him. My dad chuckles at me,

"You don't smile like that over a friend." He states,

"How would, you know?" I ask,

"I know," He pauses, "Because that is the way your mother smiles at me." A twinkle in his eye.

We stare at each other for some time, using our favourite silent communication. I'm so close to my dad we know exactly what the other is thinking without even saying a word. He knows that I like Peeta as more than a friend and although he is scared that his little girl is foraying into love, I also know that he is extremely happy for me as he's always wanted me to experience the same love he and my mother have. My toast pops in the toaster drawing out of our father daughter moment. We eat in a comfortable silence both thinking over our little heart to heart.

My mother enters the kitchen and smiles knowingly at our silence; she busies herself with unloading the dishwasher we all bask in the peaceful silence until the sound of a blaring car horn fills the air. I stand up and kiss both my parents goodbye.

"I guess that's my queue." I say, heading towards the door.

"Have a good day honey," My mother calls to me, "And say hi to Peeta for me." I roll my eyes at her and I can hear my dad laughing as I slam the door shut behind me.

"You loooove him." Jo teases as we drive to school. I blush,

"No I don't!" I protest, "I just really like him." Jo laughs at me, but not unkindly, she's just amused at the fact I've finally got a crush. I turn round in my seat to face Gale; he's been riding with us since he made up with Johanna. But she still makes him sit in the back seat.

"Gale, what do you think of Peeta?"

"He's okay I guess."

"That's not a good enough answer."

"Fine!" Gale relents, "I like him okay, I wanted to hate him I really did but he's so damn nice!"

I laugh and turn back, pleased that Gale likes Peeta. In fact all of my friends immediately warmed to Peeta. Like I promised the day after he first dropped me off I met him at lunch and introduced him to all my friends. He already knew Johanna and Gale, but it was nice to introduce him to Finnick, Annie and Thresh. Finnick and Peeta bonded over sports, they both supported the same team and they decided to both try out for the football team together. Annie gets along with everyone, but her quiet personality worked well with Peeta's welcoming one. And to everyone's surprise it turns out Thresh has a secret passion for baking. He's been eating lunch with us every day since then and it's like he's always been part of our group, the missing piece we didn't know we needed.

"Are you going to the party tonight, you know the 'we survived the first week of school' party?" Jo asks me bringing me out of my bubble. I sigh.

"Now they're just making up reasons to throw parties." I complain.

"That didn't answer my question."

"I don't think I'll go."

"That wasn't the correct answer."

"You know I hate parties." I whine.

"You have to come!" Gale exclaims, "If she's making me come then you have to come too."

"You're both coming and that is final, it'll be good for you to get out a bit more."

I know I won't win this argument so I turn away from her and don't speak to her the rest of the journey there.

I don't speak to Jo for the rest of the day. I'm not doing it because I'm mad at her; I'm just doing it to be annoying. I don't take my normal seat at our lunch table; instead I sit next to Peeta and plan to only talk to him through lunch.

"Why aren't you sitting next to Jo?" He asks, frowning at the food on his tray.

"Don't you want me to sit here?" I tease, he rolls his eyes.

"You know I like sitting next to you, I just want you to know that just because we're friends now it doesn't mean you have to forget your old ones." I nod, trying to hide the hurt I feel by him referring to me as a friend. I know it's only been a few days and I know I've never felt this way before, so I don't really know what's going to happen, but all I know is I desperately want to be more than just his friend. He turns away to speak to Finnick about football try-outs and I begin agonizing about being called his friend when I feel a hand take mine under the table. He squeezes it tightly and I feel relief rush all over my body, amplified by the electricity of his touch. He rests our hands in his lap and I feel an overwhelming sense of safety and comfort that comes with the simple act of holding his hand. He turns back to face me and I immediately get lost in his eyes.

"Everything okay?" He asks, rubbing his thumb soothingly across the back of my hand.

"Everything is perfect." I say and he gives me a knowing smile before the sound of the bell tears us apart.

English is my last period and I spend the whole first period after lunch staring at the clock, wishing the time would pass quicker. As soon as the bell rings I practically run to Effie's classroom only stopping when I've finally reached my desk.

"My, my Katniss, you're eager today!" Effie comments a huge smile plastered on her face. I feel bad that she thinks I'm excited to get to English when in reality I'm excited to get to him, but as they say ignorance is bliss. Peeta arrives only moments later, his face lighting up upon seeing mine. He sits down and gets out his things; he accidentally knocks his pencil on the floor. We both reach down to pick it up, our hands find the pencil at the same time and when we look up our faces are inches apart from each other. My breath catches in my throat and he licks his lips, I can feel my face slowly inching forward, we're about to meet when the abrupt sound of Effie clapping her hands together to start the lesson draws us apart.

"Now class what do you think Harper Lee's intentions when she wrote 'Remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.'?" Effie asks the class, but I've already zoned out, I try my best to concentrate but it's so hard with Peeta sitting next to me. He was going to kiss me. I feel disappointed, but exhilarated at the same time. Disappointed that we didn't kiss, although I'm not sure about my first kiss being in the back of an English classroom and exhilarated at how close we came to kissing. I've never felt this way before; it feels incredible. I begin to think about what it would really be like to kiss Peeta, his soft lips on mine, his sweet smell, his hands on my waist, the taste of his tongue. My daydream is cut short when I'm suddenly aware of someone calling my name.

"Katniss what do you think?" Effie asks me and I panic, if only I'd been paying attention."

"Pardon?"

"What do you think Harper Lee meant with the line 'Remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.'?" She asks again.

"Well, um, I think that, um, It's a, a metaphor." I mumble incoherently,

"I think what Katniss means is," Peeta says coming to my rescue, "That it is a metaphor for all the good, innocent people in the book, who have been caught up in something evil. Tom Robinson for example, all he ever tried to do was help Mayella and he got killed for it."

"That is an excellent analysis thank you Peeta." Effie said, visibly impressed at Peeta's ability to articulate himself in such a personal way. I keep my eyes glued to the front and listen intently for the remainder of the lesson, just in case Effie decides to ask me another question, I don't want to embarrass myself again. However my mind begins to wander and I think about Peeta's analysis of that quote. I'd like to think of Peeta as a Mockingbird, someone sweet and innocent and good. A Person who always tries to do things for other people, before doing anything for themselves. I begin to think of Peeta as my Mockingbird, like he came into my life to bring good things to me, to give my life some kind of meaning and purpose that wasn't there the bell rings to signal the end of the day before Effie can ask me anymore questions and I rush to pack up my stuff, wanting nothing more than to get out of that room. I don't even wait for Peeta; I just walk out the door and into the parking lot. I find Peeta's car and lean against it waiting for him to emerge from the building. He ambles over to me, a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay? You got out of the pretty fast." He asks,

"It was just a little stuffy in there that's all, I needed some air. I'm okay now though." I say and smile at him. He smiles back and opens the car door for me.

The car ride home is pretty silent, the only noise is Peeta's absent minded humming to the radio. But I like the quiet it gives me more time to gather my thoughts and to really think about what almost happened between us. I'm still mulling it over when we pull up outside my house, Peeta turns to me and I suddenly feel the nervous butterflies in my stomach.

"Um Katniss," He begins, uncharacteristically unsure of himself, "I was wondering if you know, you weren't doing anything tonight if you'd like to go out with me?"

I smile excitedly, "Like a date?"

He visibly relaxes taking my question as a yes, "Yes like a date."

"I'd love to." I say and I then remember that Johanna is making me go to this party tonight. "Oh shoot, I'm supposed to be going to this party tonight, but you could come too if you want." I suggest hoping I haven't hurt his feelings. His smile doesn't falter.

"That sounds great."

"Okay pick me up around seven thirty." I say getting out of the car.

"It's a date!" He calls to me as I walk up the drive. Like always he waits until I'm safely inside to drive away. I go straight up to my room and shut the door. I lie on my bed my bod wracked with excited nerves and one pressing question praying on my mind; what on earth am I going to wear?

**I Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's a bank holiday here in the UK so it gives me a little more time to write, but the uploads may be quite late (UK GMT Time) because I have a lot of revision to do during the day. **

**I'm glad that you guys are enjoying this and finding the characters relate-able, a lot of the inspiration for their interests comes from my personal interests and you will probably see more of that in upcoming chapters. **

**As always thank you for favouriting, following and reviewing and please continue to do so! Reviews are like little bursts of happiness arriving in my inbox :**)


	4. Chapter 4: Kiss Me

**Hey guys, sorry it's been a few days I had an exam so I was focusing on that, but i had some spare time today so I thought I'd try to get a new chapter up. I hope you like it :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games**.

**Chapter 4: Kiss Me**

**Katniss' P.O.V.**

Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight

Lead me out on the moonlit floor

Lift your open hand

Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance

Silver moon's sparkling

So kiss me

\- Sixpence None The Richer

"Boring, boring, boring." Jo quips as she flicks through my wardrobe.

"Don't be mean, Katniss has lovely clothes." Annie says and smiles encouragingly at me.

"Do you own anything that isn't in a shade of brown, black or green?" Jo asks me.

"Of course she does!" Annie comes to my defence again, "She wore that lovely orange blouse on Monday." I smile at her and am grateful that I decided to call her over as well as Johanna. As soon as I got over the fact Peeta asked me out, I called Annie and Jo to help me figure out what to wear. They've both done this before and know what to expect, so they're good for more than just fashion tips.

"Yeah that's one shirt; I don't think I've seen one dress in here!" Jo moans. I grumble and walk over to her.

"I have dresses; they're just hidden in the back." I tell her and dig through until I find one. Mother went through a stage of buying me clothes as presents. They all consisted of pretty dresses and skirts. I told her I was grateful, but then I hid them in my wardrobe and never wore them. I felt guilty but she didn't seem to notice and Prim was more than happy to be showered in gifts instead of me. Annie walks over and helps us pull out all of the dresses I stashed away.

"Wow Katniss! These are great." She exclaims holding a dress up to herself and twirling in the mirror. I'd never really looked at the tresses when I first got them, but now looking at them properly I had to admit they were actually quite nice. Mother had kept me in mind when she bought them instead of just picking ones she liked, like I originally thought. They were all in shades that suited my skin tone and personality.

"Oh Katniss, this one is perfect!" Annie squealed passing a dress to me. I hold the dress up and inspect it. It's a deep mulberry purple in colour with long sleeves; it has a high round neck and a slight v in the back showing just a little skin. To my surprise I like it.

"Try it on!" She pleads and so I dutifully pull off my shirt and jeans and shrug on the dress. It is a jersey like material and so it hugs my curves, but at the same time the skirt has a light quality about it and it flares out if I spin. The skirt stops just above the knee, not too long but not too short. I spin around a few times and look at myself in the mirror. I've never thought I was stunningly beautiful like Annie or Jo, but I've never thought I was ugly either. One thing occurs to me as I look at my reflection; I've never felt pretty, until this moment. At this risk of sounding big headed, I look pretty and I like feeling this way.

"Oh Katniss, it's beautiful!" Annie gushes.

Jo looks me up and down, "You look hot." She observes, "And now time for hair and make-up." she saunters over to me and yanks out my braid.

"Ow!" I cry, "That hurt."

She ignores me and continues to run her fingers through my hair, "Annie grab me a comb and the straighteners." She says as she pushes me down to sit at my desk. Annie obediently grabs the resources and then begins to search for my make-up.

"Katniss where do you keep your-"

"I don't have any." I cut her off.

"You don't have any make-up?" Annie asks in shock.

"Well, my mom bought me some stuff but I never used it so she gave some of it to prim and threw out the rest." I explain.

"What are we going to do?" Annie panics,

"Peeta's seen me without make-up is it such a big deal if I don't have any on now?" I question.

"I suppose not," Annie muses, "But it's fun to get dressed up and put a bit of make-up on."

Jo sighs dramatically, "Annie just go downstairs and ask Katniss' mom if we can use some of her make-up."

"Oh good idea!" Annie gushes and runs out the room before I can stop her.

"What did you say that for?" I yell at Johanna.

She laughs, "What's the big deal, it's just some make-up." Johanna shrugs.

"It's not just some make-up!" I hiss, "It means I have to tell my mom I have a date tonight and she'll just get excited and want to get involved!"

"Katniss, that's just what moms do, when I got back from my first date with Gale, my mom had waited up and she made me tell her everything." Jo stated, I groaned. I've never been an overly emotion person, and I don't like to share very much and although my dad gets that my mom wants to know everything about me. I brace myself as I hear Annie coming back with my mom.

"Thank you so much Mrs Everdeen!" Annie gushes; her arms full with boxes of make-up.

"It's no trouble dear." My mom says stroking away a stray hair from Annie's face, "I just wish Katniss would've told me sooner, I could have run to the store to pick her up so new stuff."

"Sorry mom." I say sheepishly beginning to feel a little guilty; I know she only wants to know these things because she cares about me. She looks at me and her eyes glass over, like she's on the verge of tears.

"Is that one of the dresses I got you?" She asks and I nod.

"You look beautiful Katniss, you really do." She says, I stare at her and give her a smile, she knows that's my way of saying thank you. She lets out a shaky breath,

"I'll be downstairs if you girls need me again; there are snacks in the kitchen." She says before leaving my room.

"I love your mom." Annie says as she starts to get to work on my make-up.

"I love my mom." I reply, in one of the rare moments of being outwardly emotional. The conversation lulls as Jo and Annie become engrossed in their work, allowing me time to gather my thoughts. I become increasingly more nervous, it's not like a proper date, there'll be lots of other people there, but we're going together as a couple. I've never felt this way about anyone before and the feelings are so strong they scare me. I zone back to reality and notice that Annie and Jo are almost finished. With one more brush sweep and one last go with the straighteners the girls put down their tools and admire their work. My hair is straight and falls smoothly down my back. My make-up is simple and elegant; a brown Smokey eye with winged eyeliner and a touch of mascara; rosy blusher and a soft pink lip. Jo and Annie high fived.

"We make a great time An." Jo sighed adjusting a strand of my hair.

"You two should go get ready now; I don't want to make you late for the party." I say.

"We were happy to help!" Annie says cheerfully, "That's what friends are for."

"And besides, I always like to arrive fashionable late to parties anyway!" Jo laughs, packing up her things.

Annie gives me a hug, "You look amazing, we'll see you later!" I smile at her.

"I'm nervous." I admit.

"That's normal; when I first went out with Finnick I was so nervous I just kept pacing around the whole house I couldn't keep still." She says encouragingly, I nod and she makes her way to the door.

"You look great squirt." Johanna says, she too has issues with being emotional, so to even get this out of her is nice and comforting. She follows Annie out the door and all I have left to do now is wait.

The doorbell rings promptly at seven thirty and I rush downstairs to answer it, but I don't get there in time and my mother answers the door.

"Hello, you must be Peeta," She greets him warmly, "Please do come in."

I rush to his side, take his hand and practically pull him out of the door, "Actually mom we're running late and so we're going to get going, see you later bye, love you." I've almost got the door closed when I hear my dad call me.

"Wait a minute Katniss." Slowly I open the front door,

"What?"

"I just wanted to meet Peeta and ask him a few questions." He said a mischievous glint in his eye. Peeta dropped my hand and moved forward to shake my Dad's hand. I cringed at the embarrassment that was about to hit Peeta. My dad enjoyed embarrassing Prim and I and that included embarrassing our dates.

"Hi, I'm Peeta Mellark." Peeta says politely, my dad takes his outreached hand and shakes it firmly.

"Katniss tells me your family owns the bakery."

"Yes, we owned a bakery where we used to live, but my parents wanted a change so we moved out here." Peeta replies smoothly.

"Do you have a job Peeta?" My father asks, he sounds menacing but I know he's only putting it on.

"I work shifts at the bakery and my parents pay me for it."

"Ah, that's good I like to see a young man earning a wage."

"Dad we kind of need to get going." I say pulling Peeta back towards the door.

"Fine, you may go." My dad says trying to suppress a laugh at my obvious discomfort, "Have her back by curfew young man."

Before Peeta can dutifully reply, I cut in, "I don't even have a curfew!"

"That's because you never used to go out." Dad says.

I roll my eyes, "We're leaving now."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" My dad laughs as we walk down the drive. I turn to him and show him my best mortified face and that only makes him laugh harder. My parents stand on the porch and watch Peeta and me. I'm suddenly glad of Peeta's chivalrous nature. It shows to my parents that he's a genuinely sweet person. He opens the car door for me and I climb in grateful to be away from the prying eyes of my parents. He climbs in beside me and we drive away, the butterflies raging in my stomach.

"I'm sorry about my parents." I say,

"Why," He replies, "They were nice."

I look at him dumbstruck, "My dad was doing his best to embarrass you and you thought he was nice."

"He was just doing what any father would do." Peeta says and I realise it's the second time today someone has told me that about my parents.

"You look beautiful." Peeta says, glancing to look at me before returning his eyes to the road.

"Oh thank you, you look nice too." I say and it's the first time tonight I actually study what Peeta's wearing. He has on black jeans and a white button-down shirt. He looks incredibly handsome, and I can't take my eyes off him. We make idle chit chat the rest of the journey, nervous energy bouncing between us. When we pull up to Madge's house Peeta can't quite believe his eyes.

"Is this the right place?" Peeta questions, as we park on the vast drive surrounded by lots of other cars.

"Uh-uh, Madge's Dad is some high up politician, and he's always away on business so it makes a great place for parties." I reply. Peeta nods and turns off the engine. He gets out the car and walks round to the passenger side to help me out. We walk hand in hand up to the grand entrance. Madge stands at the door greeting guests.

"Katniss!" She screams, flinging her arms around me, "You made it!"

I smile and hug her back, she smells of sweet cocktails and she is evidently already a little tipsy.

"Of course I did." I say, I always liked Madge she always remained down to earth despite her wealth and we shared a lot of classes and she made a good partner for projects.

"Who's the cutie?" She whispers to me though I'm sure Peeta hears, she's not quite as quiet as she thinks in her tipsy state.

"This is Peeta, he just moved here." I say,

"Hi." He waves at her.

"If I weren't going out with Thom I would totally go for that!" She giggles to me and I can't help but giggle with her. More People turn up and so we move on into the party.

"Enjoy the party!" Madge calls and we shout back thanks. It doesn't take long to find the others Annie's auburn hair is unmistakeable.

"Hey guys." I greet everyone and they cheer.

"You're here!" Annie says reaching to hug me, I get the sense Jo has been plying her with cocktails.

"Do you want a drink?" Jo asks us,

"I'll get them." I tell her, not trusting her to get me a soft drink. How she can drink the way she does I'll never know, I can't stand alcohol, I hate the way it makes me not feel in control of my body. I grab a coke for myself and a beer for Peeta and make my way back to the group.

"Did Katniss' dad go all meet the parents on you?" Finnick asks Peeta.

"No he was okay actually I think she was more embarrassed than I was."

"That's not true!" I protest but my blush says that I know otherwise. The party begins to rage and the house becomes unbearably stuffy. The group has dispersed. Finnick and Annie are off dancing, Gale and Johanna are making out somewhere in a dark corner and Thresh has gone on the lookout for a hook-up. Almost as if he's read my mind, Peeta suggests that we go outside. We make our way out to the back patio. It's still very mild for early September and the sun is beginning to decent turning the sky into a mix of wonderful hues of orange and pink, Peeta's favourite colour I automatically think. It's scaring me in a good way how often Peeta is creeping into my thoughts. I can't count how many times a day I see something and think of Peeta, or do something and my first thought is that I should tell Peeta.

I'm grateful to find that we're the only ones out on the patio. I lean on the railing and look out at the sky. I the music from inside the house changes from something up-tempo to s slow ballad. I recognise it; it was one of my mom's favourite songs from when she was younger. I feel Peeta behind me.

"Dance with me?" He asks, holding out his hand. I hate dancing but I'd do anything to be close to him. I take his hand and rest my head on his chest. We start to dance and I close my eyes and listen to the music.

_Hold me now, whoa_

_Warm my heart_

_Stay with me_

_Let loving start_

_(Let loving start)_

I look up to find Peeta gazing down at me.

"Is it strange that I've known you barely a week but I feel like I've known you forever?" He asks.

"No." I breathe and before I know what's happening we're both leaning in. Our lips connect and the electric current I feel from his touch intensifies. I slide my hands up his chest and tangle them in his hair. This is my first kiss and I expected it to feel clumsy, but everything feels so natural with Peeta, like we were made to fit together. I open my mouth slightly inviting him to deepen the kiss, he slides his tongue into my mouth and a small moan escapes my lips. We kiss for what seems like forever, only stopping to draw breath. When we finally part I feel like every part of my body is on fire and my heart is pounding hard in my chest. I rest my hands on his chest and I can feel his heart beating fast underneath his shirt. He places his strong arms around me.

"Does this mean I get to call you my girlfriend now?" He asks.

I laugh, "Only if I get to call you my boyfriend too?"

"I suppose that's only fair." He jokes and I feel another surge of affection towards him. I reach up on my tip toes and kiss him again. We never return to the party, we spend the rest of the night kissing under the stars and I don't think I've felt this happy in my whole entire life.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was a fun one to write :)**

**If you wanted to know the song they danced to it was Hold Me Now by the Thompson Twins. Also when Finnick asked Peeta if Katniss' dad went all 'meet the parents' it was in reference to a film where a guy has to meet his girlfriends parents and they don't like him. **

**Thank you for all your favourites, follows and reviews and please continue to do so. I love receiving your reviews you have no idea how happy they make me :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Over The Rainbow

**Hey guys sorry for the wait, Authors note at the bottom! I hope you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

My phone buzzes and I smile. It's the good morning text I've received from Peeta every morning since the party over a month ago. He's always up at the crack of dawn to work at the bakery and I'm always up early out of habit. Sometimes if I'm awake really early I sit at my window and watch him get ready. I can just make out his figure moving about his room it comforts me to know that he's so close. Not much has happened over the past month, Peeta and I grow closer every day and it surprises me how comfortable I am with that. I've always been a very independent person and becoming dependant on someone else terrified me, but everything with Peeta feels so natural and I don't question any of it.

Johanna and Gale have been on breaks and gotten back together too many times to count, I don't know how they do it, even the thought of Peeta not being in my life for one second terrifies me to my very core. But it's their way of keeping things interesting and it's not my place to judge. Annie and Finnick are still very much in love, but theirs is a romance of subtlety one that I can relate to. The gross personal displays of affection that Gale and Johanna subject us to are not something I would wish to impose on anyone. Thresh is still playing the field and he seems content so I don't worry about him.

Autumn is my favourite season and now that it's late October it is very noticeably autumn. There is s crisp chill in the air and all the leaves have turned beautiful shades of red and orange. I roll over and look at my phone, I have one text from Peeta and a whole string of texts from Jo that were sent very late last night, when I was very much asleep.

_OMG Kat I'm too excited._

_\- 11:37_

_I can barely contain myself; I think I just peed a little!_

_\- 11:45_

_It's almost my favourite holiday._

_\- 11:55_

_HAPPY HALLOWEEN!_

_-12:00_

I text her back and wish her a happy Halloween too. True to Johanna's out there personality her favourite holiday is Halloween. Every year since I can remember we've dressed up and gone trick or treating, but when we got to old we'd go out to parties instead. We always used to do cute corresponding costumes, she'd be batman, I'd be robin, she'd be thing one, I'd be thing two. However when she started to date Gale they'd always go in couples costumes and I'd be left to fly solo. I think that's one of the reasons for why I'm actually excited for the Halloween party this year; I actually have someone to go with. Fortunately Halloween falls on a Friday this year and so you can actually have a party on Halloween itself. Madge's Dad is out of town on business so she happily volunteered her house for the party.

I rolled out of bed and quickly pulled on anything clean I could find which happened to be a pair of ripped skinnys and one of Peeta's flannel shirts I stole from him. I bring it up to my nose and inhale his scent, it's uniquely sweet, yet it retains the manly smell and I can't get enough of it. I chuck the books I need into my bag and brush my teeth before heading downstairs. I wasted a lot of time this morning by hitting the snooze button and so I have to rush a breakfast.

"Happy Halloween honey!" My mother greets me as I clamber down the stairs.

"Happy Halloween mom!" I say as I give her a kiss on the cheek and sit down to the pancakes she's prepared for me.

"Is your costume all ready for tonight?" She asks and I roll my eyes. We all made a pact not to tell anyone apart from our partner what are costumes are and that includes parents. If I told my mom she'd blab to Jo's mom and then she'd tell Jo and the element of surprise would be ruined.

"You know I can' tell you what it is, but yes it's ready." I smile at her and she huffs at me,

"I think I preferred the sullen moody Katniss." she teases. Everybody has noticed the change in me since I started going out with Peeta, but they know better than to comment on it, mostly because I would bite their head off. I let this little comment slide as I know that she doesn't mean any harm, and I've actually felt closer to her these past few weeks. Prim bundles down the stairs and I smile at her enthusiasm for life.

"Morning little duck!"

"Don't call me that!" She complains, "I'm fourteen I'm not little anymore!"

"And yet you're still going trick or treating tonight!" I counter and she can think of a response. She sits down opposites me and shoots me glares in between her mouthfuls of pancakes. I hate the fact that Prim is getting older and she isn't as close to me as she used to be. I understand that she needs her space, and I know that she still loves me but it hurts when she doesn't want to spend time with me anymore.

"Prim I picked your costume up yesterday it's hanging in your wardrobe." Mom says,

"Who are you going as?" I ask her, and her face contorts, deliberating whether she should keep up the silent treatment. She sighs unable to keep silent for any longer,

"I'm going as Bella from twilight and rue is going as Hermione from Harry potter."

"Ah cool," I reply, I try to sound interested but I hate those teen fiction books she reads.

"Who are you going as?" She asks innocently, I'm about to reply when I realise what she's doing.

"Nice try missy, I'm not falling for it." I mock scold and she looks over to mom,

"Sorry mom I tried my best!"

"Its okay sweetie, we'll figure it out if it's the last thing we do." She cackles like a witch making us laugh. Dad enters with the morning papers and he goes over to kiss mom, I look over at Prim and we mock being sick. Dad turns round and catches us; he shakes his head laughing,

"You may mock Katniss but I saw you making out with Peeta the other night on the front porch." He says satisfied when my face contorts in mortification,

"First of all!" I begin, "You were spying on me? And second of all please never say making out ever again!"

He laughs, "I wasn't spying it's a father's duty to make sure his daughter gets home safe."

"You were spying." My mother Prim and I say in unison.

"Ah I'm surrounded by women!" My dad wails and he leaves to go sit in his study.

"How could you let him spy on me?" I ask mom,

"I didn't know that's what he was doing; I just thought he was watching waiting for you to come home," She says stroking my hair maternally, "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."  
"Or alternatively you could just make out with Peeta in his car." Prim squeals before running out of the room so I can't attack her. Mother laughs and I'm grateful to hear the familiar sound of Johanna's car horn signalling it's time for school. I shout a goodbye and rush out of the door trying to put an incredibly embarrassing morning behind me.

"It's Halloween!" Jo shouts as I get in the car. Gale's already in the back seat and he nods to me.

"I know I'm excited too!" I shout back matching her enthusiasm. Gale gasps in mock horror,

"Did Katniss Everdeen say that she is actually excited for something?" He questions, "What happened to the cynical Katniss we all know and love?"  
"She got a boyfriend." Jo replies, I open my moth to protest, but promptly shut it when I realise being with Peeta has made me open and more accepting of things. So instead I just slide down in my seat trying to cover my blush. We arrive at school and I quickly get out of the car and scurry away. I rush into the building and hurry to my locker, not looking where I'm going I walk straight into f familiar pair of broad shoulders, I look up and Peeta stands by my locker waiting for me, he laughs kindly at me,

"Where were you going to in such a hurry speedy Gonzales?" He asks.

"Oh just here actually," I say motioning towards my locker, "I needed to drop off some books."

"Is your costume all set for tonight?" He asks, and I nod and can't help but break out into a grin when I think about it.

"Is yours?" I ask,

"I picked it up yesterday." He grins putting an arm around me as we walk to class.

"Remember Jo's driving me home tonight because we're getting ready for the party together." I remind him.

"I remember," He says, "I have to be at your house for seven thirty and not a minute before."

"Exactly, Gale will probably be waiting out on the porch too so you can wait with him."

"Why does he have to wait, he knows what Johanna's costume is?" Peeta Questions,

"You know what mine is and you have to wait." I counter, "And besides Johanna says it's always important to make an entrance."

Peeta chuckles and he kisses me goodbye when we have to go our separate ways and the morning seems to drag without him. As soon as chemistry is over I hurry to lunch, admiring the Halloween themed decorations lining the halls. I'm the first to arrive at our usual table and so I take out my copy of To Kill a Mockingbird and reread my favourite parts to pass the time. I suddenly jump when Peeta comes up behind me,

"Boo!" He scares me, and sits next to me. I rest my head on his chest.

"Don't do that!" I groan and he chuckles tracing patterns on my back. Out of the corner of my eye is see Annie and Finnick approach the table.

"They're so cute." Annie whispers to Finnick,

"I heard that." I say my head still buried in Peeta's chest so it probably came out as a garbled mess. Peeta shifts so he can face Finnick and Annie and so I move to rest my head on his shoulder.

"Are you guys all set for tonight?" Peeta asks them,

Finnick's mouth upturns into a smug grin, "Oh Yeah, we're going to have the best costumes there!"

"Don't be so full of yourself!" Annie scolds, "I'm sure everyone will look lovely."

I smile at Annie; I always find her good nature admirable and wish I could be a little bit more like her sometimes. Soon, Jo, Gale and Thresh join us and we all boast about how good our costumes are, whilst trying to refrain from saying what they actually are. Lunch passes too quickly and I have to say good bye to Peeta again.

"You'll see him in an hour brainless!" Jo chides, pulling me away, He smiles at me and turns to walk away I watch him go, hating every second I'm away from him.

I see Peeta again in English but we don't really get to see each other as Miss Trinket has us working hard. We have a paper due soon and I don't want to fail my favourite class. When the final bell rings I gather up my stuff and give Peeta a quick kiss before running off to meet Jo.

She's already in her car waiting for me so I swiftly clamber in.

"You took your sweet time." She complains as she pulls out of the parking lot. I look over my shoulder and notice that Gale isn't in the back,

"We could've given Gale a ride home you know, he does live next door to me and he knows what your costume is." I say, and Jo shrugs,

"Nah, the walk home won't kill him," She says, "And besides you've got to treat 'em mean to keep 'em keen."

"What a beautiful philosophy!" I exclaim sarcastically and she rolls her eyes at me. We ride the rest of the way home in a comfortable silence. Johanna parks her car in her drive and runs inside to grab her stuff. I make my way across the street to my house. Mom's waiting for me when I open the door.

"I though Jo was coming over to get ready with you?" She asks,

"She is she's just grabbing her stuff."

"Okay well, I know I'm not allowed to see you girls until you're completely dressed up so I left some snacks and juice in your room and I bought you some new make-up."

I walk over to her and give her a rare hug, touched by her kindness.

"Thanks mom." I say sincerely. I hear the door open and close with a thud behind me and the unmistakeable sound of Johanna's voice,

"Hi Mama E!" She calls, "I'd love to chat but it takes a while to get Katniss ready so we better get started now."

I roll my eyes and my mom just chuckles as Jo pulls me up the stairs and into my room.

We spend the whole afternoon primping and preening, we still don't tell each other what our costumes are but an idea begins to form in my head with the way Jo does her hair and make-up. When we're both ready to get dressed she leaves and changed in the bathroom, taking the whole element of surprise thing seriously. When she's gone I go over to my wardrobe and find the garment bag containing the costume I'd ordered weeks ago. I'd always wanted to go as this for Halloween but I'd never had the confidence until now. I slide down the zip and pull out the dress. I slip into it, and put on the frilly socks and shoes to complete the outfit. I walk over to the mirror to check my appearance. My hair is in two French braids instead of one, and my make-up is in natural tones giving my face a youthful dewy look. The blue gingham dress cinches in at my waist and flares out so that it flutters when I turn. I look down at the red sparkly shoes that adorn my feet, they have little heels that I'm not used to and I feel a little unsure on my feet. I pick up the little basket with a small toy do inside that accompanies the look. I hear a knock at the door and open it to find Jo on the other side; we stare at each other for a moment then break out into fits of giggles.

"Dorothy!" She exclaims,

"Sandy!" I reply, Jo stands before me and she looks like an utter bombshell. Her hair is curled to perfection and pined back in places to frame her face. She has smokey eye makeup with winged eyeliner so sharp it could kill a man. Her lips are bright red and they match her bright red stiletto pumps. She looks amazing in her satin leggings that hug her legs like a second skin and her little black off the shoulder crop top with her black leather jacket.

"Oh my good you look amazing!" I say as she twirls for me,

"So do you, who knew Dorothy could be so sexy?"

We giggle and make our way downstairs. My mom waits at the bottom practically dancing with anticipation, I love the way she gets so excited by the little things.

"Oh My Gosh girls you look great!" She exclaims, "Frank, get the camera!"

I groan, "Oh mom you don't need to take pictures!"

She turns to me, suddenly serious, "I have pictures of you girls on every Halloween since you were born I'm not stopping now."

"Well okay then Mama E!" Jo says as she strikes a pose. I pose with her surprised by the fact I don't have to force a smile.

"Can I let the boys in now?" Mom asks, "They've been waiting in the cold for ages and I want pictures of all of you!"

Jo and I nod and Mom ushers the boys inside. Their eyes practically pop out of their heads when they see us. Gale licks his lips and Johanna winks at him. They both look so good, Gale makes a remarkable Danny Zuko and Peeta looks adorable as the scarecrow.

"Okay Pictures!" My mom yells and ushers us all together. Peeta moves to stand next to me and whispers in my ear,

"You look beautiful." I blush and lean into him.

"It's good to see you Mama E, but we need to get going now." Gale says, my mother nods and waves us off. Peeta takes my hand and we all climb into Gale's car.

It doesn't take long to find Finnick, Annie and Thresh. We all double over in laughter when we see Finnick, but he just displays a proud grin. Annie looks stunning as the little mermaid, which we all guessed she'd go as. We all assumed Finnick would go as Prince Eric however standing before us is a very red Finnick dressed as Sebastian the crab.

"I begged him not to do it." Annie says exasperated, but she too can't help but smile at Finnick, "I said 'Finnick we're supposed to be doing couples costumes, you have to be Eric' and he said that he thought that Sebastian and Ariel made a better couple."

"Have you seen that movie?" Finnick yells, "Sebastian and Ariel were the superior couple!"

We all roll our eyes and turn our attention to thresh, who is only wearing a white shirt, socks, sun glasses and his underwear,

"Did you leave the rest of your costume at home?" Jo teases,

"No I'm Tom Cruise a la Risky Business, I wanted to go as Tom Cruise in Top Gun, but this costume was easier to come up with last minute." Thresh explains. Madge comes over to greet us; she looks cute as Alice in Wonderland.

"Hey guys, isn't this fun! The Karaoke starts soon everyone has to sing and I character where possible." She says moving on to the next group of People. Finnick and Johanna whoop and high five excited at any opportunity to be the centre of attention. I groan,

"Don't groan Katniss karaoke is fun and you will enjoy it!" Finnick says as he tries to make his way over to the karaoke station in his huge crab costume. He writes down his name and selection and so does thresh and Johanna. We settle in a corner and watch everyone perform. It's not as cringe inducing as I thought it would be. Mainly because everyone is very drunk and they don't care what they look like. Finnick is the first of our group to sing, he performs a very colourful rendition of Under the Sea. Thresh goes a little while later with his stylings of Old Time Rock and Roll. Finally Gale and Johanna perform You're the One that I Want. I take the most pleasure in this performance as Gale singing Karaoke is something I never thought I'd see. They come off the little make shift stage and Johanna has a very smug look in her eye.

"Okay we have one last Performer," Madge proclaims, "So please welcome Katniss!"

I freeze unable to move,

"Jo what did you do?" I hiss, as she pushes me towards the stage,

"Don't worry you have a great voice!" She says as she gives one final push and I stumble up onto the stage, she gives me a thumbs up and the music starts. I begin to panic, I search the crowd for Peeta and as soon as my eyes lock onto his I relax. I don't think about anything else I just look into Peeta's eyes and sing.

_Somewhere over the rainbow way up high_

_There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby_

_Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue_

_And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true_

_Someday I'll wish upon a star_

_And wake up where the clouds are far_

_Behind me_

_Where troubles melt like lemon drops_

_Away above the chimney tops_

_That's where you'll find me_

_Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly_

_Birds fly over the rainbow. Why then, oh, why can't I?_

_If happy little bluebirds fly_

_Beyond the rainbow why, oh, why can't I?_

I finish and everyone is silent, I begin to panic until they all erupt into a tremendous applause. Peeta steps forward and helps me off the stage. He pulls me into his arms,

"That was amazing Katniss!" He whispers, "I love you."

**Hey my beloved readers, thank you for being so patient. I did warn you there might be no updates due to my exams, but they're all done now so hopefully i'll be able to update more regularly. It was also my birthday last week and I went to a concert on Saturday so things have been a bit hectic but everything is back to normal now!**

**This chapter was lots of fun to write and if you were wondering the inspiration behind the costumes, they're just some of my favourite films :)**

**Thank you for reading and Following, favouriting and reviewing, they all mean more to me than you could ever imagine :)**


	6. Chapter 6: You Give Me Something

**Hola friends, happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

**Chapter 6: You Give Me Something**

**Katniss' P.O.V.**

You give me something

That makes me scared alright

This could be nothing

But I'm willing to give it a try

Please give me something

Because someday I might know my heart

-James Morrison

_"__That was amazing Katniss!" He whispers, "I love you."_

I still at his words and pull away slightly, unable to look at him. I know in my heart of hearts that I do love Peeta, but we've know each other barely two months and the emotional side of me he has brought out is now being quelled by the rational side of me that ruled me for seventeen years. It's fair to say that we've become very close in the small time we've known each other, but it all feels slightly rushed.

I've been quite fortunate to be surrounded by love my whole life, but if anything it has made me more closed off than open. Every time I see my parents or Gale's parents together I see how amazing finding the right person can be, but the rational part of me quickly reasons that not everybody finds that or can make their love last. Sometimes, it scares me how in love me parents are, they completely depend on each other and I don't know if I could live like that putting all my trust in someone who could decide to leave at any minute. I want to tell Peeta that I love him, I truly do but I can't seem to form the words. Saying I love you out loud cements this relationship as a significant milestone in my life and although I present a hard attitude, I like everyone else fear my heart getting broken.

My head begins to spin and I have a hard time catching my breath. The room suddenly becomes stifling and my fight or flight instincts kick in. I look around at the concerned faces of all my friends wondering what Peeta could have possibly said to me to gain this reaction. I can't take the heat anymore and I bolt from the room. I hear Peeta call after me but he doesn't follow. I run until I'm safely outside on Madge's patio. I breathe a sigh of relief as it's clear of people. I slide down the railings and sit on the floor tucking my knees up around my chest and take long deep breaths to calm my anxiety riddled body. My phone begins to buzz and I turn it off, I can't face anybody right now. I rest my head between my knees and begin to cry, Peeta was the best thing to happen to me in a long time and I may have just lost him. I want to run back in there, launch myself at him and scream that I love him but the embarrassment is too much to bear. I begin to cry harder when I've realised that I've fled to the exact spot where we had our first kiss.

I startle when I feel someone sit next to me. Tentatively I lift my head to find Annie sitting next to me. I'm relieved that it isn't Peeta but saddened that it's not him too. Annie doesn't speak at first, we just sit there staring off into the party.

Slowly she turns to me, "You want to talk about it?" She asks, and I realise that I actually do feel like talking to someone.

"Peeta told me he loves me."

"And that's a bad thing because?"  
"I think I love him too."

She chuckles and shakes her head, "I suppose you're scared to tell him because then it suddenly becomes real and you don't know how to deal with it?"

I nod my head, she's quiet for a moment then she speaks again,

"Can I tell you a story?" She asks, and I nod.

"When I was seven my parents go divorced, they were fighting all the time and sometimes they couldn't even stand to be in the same room as each other so they decided the best thing was to get a divorce. But the divorce led to even more fighting over me, money just about everything."

"Oh God Annie that's awful."  
"Yeah it sucked and I'm an only child so I didn't have anyone to tough it out with either. Seeing them go what they went through made me really nervous about opening up to someone because I'd only ever seen the downside to love."

"What made you change your mind?"

"I've known Finnick since elementary school, but we didn't speak until freshman year. Although it had been like seven years since my parents' divorce they were arguing again because I'd chosen to stay with my mom and attend high school here rather than transferring and living with my dad. I'd spent the whole morning in floods of tears reliving the painful divorce memories and I was late for class, I was running down the hall not looking where I was going and I knocked into Finnick. All my books and folders fell to the floor and to my surprise he stopped to help me pick them up, he noticed straight away that I'd been crying and when he asked what was wrong I found myself ditching first period and telling him the whole story." She pauses checking to see if I'm following her story, I motion for her to continue, I've never heard this story before and I'm totally hooked.

"We were just friends at first I didn't expect someone so popular to pay any attention to me, but he did and I remember the first time I went to his house and his parents were sitting on the couch together and it was so foreign to me. He apologised for them he thought it was gross that they were still affectionate with each other, but I was oddly captivated by them how they'd been together for over twenty years and were still as in love as they day they met. Finnick and his family taught me how to open up and love and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. The first time I told Finnick I loved him was the scariest thing I have ever done as it was something I'd sworn I'd never do, but it was the best decision I've ever made."

"So you're saying I should tell Peeta I love him?"

"I'm saying do whatever makes you feel comfortable, but don't let your fear hold you back." She smiles at me, "Come on You can ride home with me and Finnick. You can tell Peeta how you feel in the morning."

She stands up pulling me with her. We walk to Finnick's car and she texts him telling him to come get us. When he turns up I'm grateful he doesn't ask any awkward questions. He carries on as if i didn't just have a major freak out and I'm thankful for it. Finnick and Annie chat on the drive home, but I tune them out too engrossed in my own thoughts. I can only hope that Peeta will forgive me for embarrassing him and I can get the chance to tell him I love him.

Thankfully my parents have gone to bed by the time I get in so I quietly make my way through the house. I slip out of my heels and take off my tear smudged make-up. I throw my dress on the floor and change into my sleep shorts and tank top. I crawl into bed and pluck up the courage to check my phone. I have messages from almost everyone, but understandably Peeta has left the most messages and voicemails. I read and listen to each one; the tears begin to stream at the sound of his voice. I hurt him and I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive myself.

Annie's story really helped to put things in perspective for me. Falling in love is a huge gamble, it might last forever or it could burn out and leave you cold and alone. But it's a gamble worth taking because love is something magical and it is something that should be experienced even if it does lead to heartbreak. I mean look at my parents they've been together nearly twenty-five years and they're still going strong and my mother risked everything to be with my father. My mother came from old money and had a very privileged upbringing, my father was poor and from the wrong side of the tracks so to speak and my mother's parents disapproved heavily of their budding romance. They presumed that the relationship would be nothing more than a fling, it was my mother rebelling and soon she would come to her senses and return to her society life. However that never happened and so they gave her an ultimatum, leave with him and get cut off or stay and be showered in luxuries. Obviously she decided to leave; it was hard for them at first my father was on a low income and it took time for my mother to adjust to her new life but their love for each other made it work and they built up a home.

My mother did not speak to her parents for years, until my father proposed. She sent them an invitation to the wedding, a small affair at city hall. My grandmother was appalled at the idea of her only daughter getting married in a venue so public, but my grandfather stuck to his guns and neither one of them attended the wedding. It still hurts my mother deeply though she'll never admit it.

She contacted them again when I was born, she didn't tell them she was pregnant, she waited until I'd actually arrived. She sent them a photo with my name, date of birth and weight on the back. It was at that point that my grandmother could no longer take it; she went behind my grandfather's back and turned up one day out of the blue. She'd already lost out on the milestones in her daughter's life she wasn't going to make the same mistake again. By some miracle my grandmother managed to convince my grandfather to return into my mother's and our lives and so as young children Prim and I were showered with unnecessary gifts. Even to this day we receive considerable checks on our Birthdays and Christmas. My mother has never forgiven her parents for what they did and for the first time I truly understand why. It took a lot of courage for her to abandon everything she'd ever know and start a new life, with only love to guide her. It makes me thankful that my parents like and accept Peeta. _If you still have him_ the little voice in the back of my head reminds me.

I'm brought out of my thoughts by a scratching at my window making me jump. Slowly, I get out of bed and pad over to the window, curiosity overruling my fear at what could be waiting for me. I pull back the curtain and peer out. I gasp when I see Peeta standing out on the patio throwing pebbles at my window. Like me he's changed out of his costume and now wears a plain white fitted T-shirt, blue jeans and his old worn converse. I open the window and carefully lean out. I stare at him, lost for words.

"You wouldn't answer my calls." He says, he doesn't need to shout, the night it so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"I'm sorry."

"What happened Katniss?" He asks his eyes full of hurt and confusion. I take a moment to consider my answer afraid of hurting him all over again.

"I'm sorry, I just freaked out, no one's ever told me they loved me before and I was afraid to say it back."

"I'd never hurt you Katniss, I'm not playing some kind of trick on you. I'm in love with you."

My hear flutter when I hear the words and this time it's not from panic it's from excitement. The second time round they seem to hit me harder, it's not just an 'I love you' it's 'I'm in love with you' and we're alone it's just us and I know that he means it, just like he meant it the first time.

I smile down at him, "I love you too. I was scared to say it before, but I'm not scared anymore."

He beams up at me, "You really mean it?"

"Yes, I love you, I'm in love with you!"

He practically jumps up and down on the spot, giddy with happiness; I have to stifle a laugh.

"Come on Romeo, it's very late and you have to be at the bakery in the morning." I say,

"Aw don't call me that," He laughs, "Their story was a tragedy."

"Ours won't be." I assure him, "but you might meet an untimely death if you're late for work tomorrow."

"Fine, I'm going. I love you." He calls backing down the garden. I watching him jump over the fence and land back into his own backyard. I sit at my window until I see his bedroom light flick on. I close my window and draw my curtains. I slide back into bed and turn out the light. My phone pings illuminating the dark room, I pick it up and smile at the screen. I find the same text from Peeta I've gotten every night since we met. Only this time it has a new addition to it.

_Sweet Dreams Katniss. I love you._

_\- Peeta. _

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Thanks for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing!**

**Please leave a review on your way out, they make me incredibly happy and I love hearing what you guys have to say :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Time After Time

**Hey I hope the Chapter is fixed now, I'm sorry about the glitch. I hope you can read and enjoy this :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

**Chapter 7: Time After Time**

** Katniss' P.O.V.**

If you're lost, you can look and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting

Time after time

\- Cyndi Lauper

I wake up in a cold sweat, my body shaking with panic. Ever since Peeta and I said 'I love you' our relationship has been stronger than ever. It's like a weight or pressure has been lifted and we can really enjoy being with each other now. However the relationship is still scary territory for me. I never used to tell anyone anything and now I've become comfortable telling Peeta things I haven't even told Johanna.

Although our relationship is great recently my bad dreams have been making a reoccurrence. I've suffered from night terrors ever since I was a little girl. They started after the accident. When I was eight, my father and prim were involved in a car accident, fortunately they both lived but it was a very serious crash. Prim had a broken leg and my father was unconscious for days. Ever since then I've been terrified that something will happen to them again. My fears are most prominent at night, when I don't have the distractions that the day brings. The most terrifying thing about my nightmares is that they don't always revolve around a car crash, like the original accident. My brain conjures up other twisted images too. Most nights I wake up crying, terrified of the scenes in my nightmares.

I look over at the clock and see that I've awoken in the early hours of the morning. I wipe away the tears and try to clear my mind, but I can't stop thinking about the horrific visions. I was in a town square surrounded by people and there was fire everywhere, Prim was standing in the middle of the crowd and I kept trying to run to her but I couldn't get close. I always wake up just as the fire reaches Prim before I can get to her. I shake my head as if it will help to shake the image from my mind. Usually I fight of the terrors alone, I haven't even told my parents about them, but tonight I feel like I need someone, someone in particular. So, I text Peeta.

Are you awake? I need to talk.

\- K xx

I don't expect him to respond it being two in the morning, but he does.

Open your window.

\- P xx

Normally I would question such a strange request. But in my delirious tired state I do as he asks and push the window open. I pace around the room unable to keep still, the anticipation of Peeta and the anxiousness from my dream making it impossible for me to try to calm down. I turn round when I hear Peeta clambering through my window. He lands with a soft thud. We pause with baited breath listening to see if my parents or prim heard the small disturbance. When all remained quiet Peeta tentatively walked over to me and embraced me in a tight hug.

"Oh my god." I whisper, "How'd you get up here?"

"I jumped the fence and climbed the tree outside your window."

"You could've really hurt yourself." I scold.

"I was worried about you." He says simply. I look up at him and he caresses my cheek.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asks. I take a deep breath before answering, I've never told anyone about the nightmares and now that Peeta's here in front of me I'm nervous to tell him.

"When I was little my Dad and Prim were involved in a car accident, it was pretty serious. Prim had a broken leg and my Dad was unconscious for days. Ever since then I've been terrified that something is going to happen to them and I get these terrible nightmares." I say, "Usually I just cope alone but I can't do it anymore, I needed someone."

I begin to cry and he hugs me tighter.

"Hey, hey," He soothes, "You don't have to go through things alone now, I'm here, I'll always be here."

We stand in the middle of my room for a long time just clinging to each other. The amount of comfort I feel by just being near Peeta is astounding. The fact that I've become so close to Peeta scares me. I'm so used to coping with things alone it feels wrong to share my burdens with someone else. I know he cares about me and loves me and he wants to help with my problems, but if we were ever to go our separate ways it makes me feel weird that he would know all this stuff about me, but not be in my life anymore. I hope that never happens though. I can't imagine ever wanting Peeta out of my life.

I feel my eye lids begin to droop and I'm now more leaning against Peeta than standing up. Gently, he picks me up and places me back into bed. He pulls the covers up and kisses me on the forehead. He turns to walk back to the window when I suddenly feel the panic creeping back.

"Stay with me?" I whisper. He closes my window slightly and turns back round. He kicks of his converse and pulls off his t-shirt. I shift to make room and he slides in next to me in next to me. He whispers something to me, but I don't catch it as sleep consumes me.

I wake well rested and smiling for once. Peeta shifts beside me and I still. Last night comes flooding back to me. I feel good for finally telling someone about my nightmares, and once I fell back asleep with Peeta they stayed away. I look over at Peeta's sleeping form. During the night the sheets have been pushed down exposing his bare chest. It's the first time I've seen Peeta shirtless and he doesn't disappoint. Years of heavy lifting at the bakery have left him toned to perfection. Tentatively, I reach out and trace the lines of his abs. He flinches slightly when my cold fingers make contact with his warm flesh. I watch Peeta sleep for a long time; I study him properly and take note of all his features. My favourite feature is by far his impossibly long eyelashes, golden matching the shade of his hair. I'm brought out of my trance when I hear plates and glasses clattering downstairs. I glance over at the clock and see that it's almost seven in the morning. Even though it's a Saturday my parents will still be up early. I take one last look at Peeta's peaceful sleeping face, as much as I'd love to lie hear and watch him sleep some more, I don't want to get caught with Peeta in my bed, no matter how innocent the circumstances were.

"Peeta!" I whisper as I gently shake his shoulder. He stirs, but he just groans and pulls me closer. I roll my eyes and shove him.

"Peeta!" I say, a little louder this time. He sits up and looks around confused. He relaxes when he sees me.

"What time is it?" He asks groggily.

"Seven." I reply brushing down his hair.

"Oh shit, I have a shift at the bakery." He says as he scrambles out of bed. Quickly, he pulls on his t-shirt and converse. I walk over to the window and open it for him. He gives me a quick kiss,

"I'll see you this afternoon at the mall?" He asks while climbing out of the window.

"I'll be there." I smile at him. I watch him descend the tree and quickly sprint across my backyard to jump the fence separating our houses.

I decide to quickly shower before Prim, so I lock myself in the bathroom and watch as it fills up with steam. I step in and shudder as the warm water hits my back. I feel more rested than I have done in weeks and while it makes me extremely happy it also concerns me. Having Peeta with me at night helps to keep the nightmares at bay, but I don't want to have to depend on Peeta to sleep peacefully. I can't expect him to drop everything and come to me every time I wake up from a nightmare. The fact that I know he would shouldn't come into it. I scrub away at my body, trying to clean myself of the memories of last night's dream, while retaining the sweet memories of Peeta. I wish I could wakeup with Peeta every morning; it would make facing the day much more bearable. Even doing simple things with Peeta gives me pleasure, like watching him bake or read. I love it when Peeta comes over and we just lounge in my room, each doing our own thing but enjoying each other's company.

I'm so caught up in my thoughts that I stay in the shower longer than I intended and so it cuts off leaving me cold and shivering. I grab my towel from the radiator and run back to my bedroom. I dry my hair and carefully braid it. I walk over to my wardrobe and pull on a black skirt, tights and a long sleeved tee. I hunt around on the floor for one of the many flannel shirts I've stolen from Peeta. I find the red and green shirt I'm looking for; I bring it up to my nose to inhale the familiar comforting scent before putting it on. Now that we're well and truly into November the days are becoming much colder and so layering up is a must. Most of my layering up comes from stealing things from Peeta and chucking them over whatever I'm wearing.

I quickly peek out of the window as I venture downstairs and see that the frost is still covering the ground. They're forecasting snow any day now and I hope it starts soon. There's nothing I love more than sitting at my window and watching the snow fall. I reach the kitchen and blanch when I see all of the boxes piled on the floor.

"Mom!" I yell as I make my way through the boxes of decorations and holiday things. I grab a bowl and pour my cereal furiously making a mess on the counter. I turn around to grab the milk and see my mom hurrying in with yet another box.

I roll my eyes, "It's not even December yet."

"It's December first this week and I wanted to get a head start on things so we're ready to go." She says as she carefully places down the box as if it's a new born baby. My family are big on Christmas. They love all the decorations and lights and the anticipation. I've never really seen the big appeal. I hate socialising with people and giving and receiving gifts just stresses me out. I can never find the right gift for anyone and no matter how happy I am with the gift I receive I always come across as rude and ungrateful. The only thing I truly love about Christmas is the tree. While Prim enjoys decorating it, I enjoy it before she attacks it with metallic monstrosities. The smell alone makes me close my eyes and feel like I'm back in the woods, hunting and exploring with my Dad.

"You can't complain, when you're the one going Christmas shopping this afternoon!" Mom counters.

"That's different; we're going early to beat all the crowds." I say rinsing my now empty bowl in the sink.

"Mmhm." Mom mumbles giving me a look.

The day passes by agonizingly slowly. We agreed to meet at the mall at two. The plan is two split up into groups of boys and girls, go buy each other's gifts then meet up after to go see a movie. I'm excited to hang out with everyone; the past month has been filled with tests and college applications leaving little time to have fun. I keep checking the time on my phone every few minutes, disappointed when I see so little time has passed. I'm nervous for finding a gift for Peeta; I know whatever he gets me will be amazing and I have no idea how to top it. Johanna will be no help; her idea for a gift for Gale is buying a new lingerie set from Victoria's Secret, which is more of a present for herself. Annie may be more help, after all she is more sensitive to people than Jo and she notices things so she may have an idea of something Peeta might want.

I jump when I hear Jo's car horn signalling it's time to go. I call out a goodbye as I slam the front door shut. I clamber into the front seat and laugh at Gale scowling in the back.

"Why do I always have to sit back here?" he whines,

"Because I called eternal shot gun."

"That is not a thing!" He complains, "God why couldn't Peeta drive you?"

"He's working a shift at the bakery, so he's coming straight from there." I explain Gale huffs in response.

"Cheer up jack ass you can ride in the front on the way back." Jo laughs.

"Yeah only because Katniss won't be here."

"Shut up!" Jo and I yell at the same time. We burst out laughing and it feels good to be having fun again after a stressful month.

"What are you going to get Peeta?" Gale asks and I pull a face. He knows how much I dislike gift giving. After spending almost every Christmas with his and Johanna's families, they are well aware of the terror I feel on Christmas day when my parents announce it's time for gifts.

"I have no idea." I say. I chew on my lip with worry as it dawns on me that I will have to get Peeta something and it has to be amazing.

"I have a suggestion," Jo announces, "the gift I'm thinking of comes in a pink stripped bag an-"

"No!" Gale and I yell cutting her off. I turn around in surprise.

"I know my objection, but what was yours for?"

"You're basically my sister and I don't want to think of my sister buying sexy underwear for her boyfriend to see her in." Gale cringes. Johanna laughs at his discomfort and we ride the rest of the way without mentioning gifts again.

When we arrive it doesn't take long to find the others. Finnick stands a head above the rest at fix feet 4 inches tall and Annie's auburn curls don't help them blend in much either. Although there are still a few days of November left the mall is heavily decorated and blaring Christmas music. The nearer we get to the others the more I can hear Finnick singing along. Finnick's aversion to embarrassment never fails to astound me.

"Finnick please stop." Annie pleads as we greet them.

"Why should I?" Finnick argues, "I'm just spreading Christmas cheer!"

"I can give you two reasons, one it's November and two you're annoying all the members of the public."

Finnick clutches his chest feigning hurt at my comment, before going back to singing. Annie throws her head into her hands in despair and I can't help but giggle at them. We let Finnick finish whatever carol he was attempting to sing.

"So my little festive elves are we reading to split up and look for presents." Finnick asks.

"God it's like a festive addition of Scooby Doo with you." Jo comments. Everyone laughs.

"No, Peeta isn't here yet." I say.

"Yeah he is, he just saw an old friend and went off to chat he should be back any minute." Finnick says and Annie discreetly kicks his shin. He looks at her confused and she shakes her head slightly at him. Their interaction worries me.

"Which way did he go?" I ask, "I'll go find him so we can get started."

Finnick points the way and I push through the crowds to try to find Peeta. I don't have to go very far, I could have only walked a few meters when his blonde hair comes into view. I stop short when I see his 'old friend'. The friend turns out to be an impossibly leggy girl with hair so golden it could've been spun by Rumpelstiltskin himself. Her skin has a sun kissed glow even though it's almost winter and she looks incredible in her jeans and white shirt. My stomach churns and my vision turns green with jealousy. I'm never usually that Jealous, sure lots of girls look at Peeta and some are even brazen enough to approach him, but I know that he loves me and would never do anything to hurt me. But something about the way they interact seems off to me. Slowly, I make my way over to them. By chance Peeta looks my way and his face lights up when he sees me. I quicken my pace a little, when I get near enough his hand snakes around my waist and I feel a little more secure. I look up at the girl, who is even more stunning close up.

"Katniss, I was just talking about you." Peeta says and I quirk an eyebrow towards his female friend. He looks over to her.

"Of course how rude of me, Katniss this Glimmer," He pauses and I hold my breath suddenly very nervous to find out how he knows this girl.

"She's my ex-girlfriend."

**I hope you liked that :)**

**Please leave a review on your way out. I love hearing what you have to say and they make me unbelievably happy! **


End file.
